Wood and coal burning stoves are becoming increasingly popular as primary and secondary sources for heating residential homes and various commercial units. Such wood stoves generally include a rectangular firebox of welded steel plate construction. A front door allows access to the firebox for adding fuel and for removing ashes. During combustion, heat is absorbed by the stove walls and radiated outwardly into the surrounding air in the room or area where the stove is located. An exhaust outlet discharges smoke and hot volatile gases produced during combustion into a chimney flue directly or through a connecting stovepipe.
Although many different types of stoves are known, designs of which I am aware are generally ineffective for directing substantial quantities of heat into the surrounding air. Further, problems in initiating combustion often arise in these designs since, without proper drafting, smoke tends to escape into the room until complete combustion is obtained. Although drafting controls are provided to adjust the position of internal dampers provided in the stove, the drafting controls are usually very hot to the touch when adjustment is required during combustion. Further, a large portion of heat tends to pass directly up into the chimney without uniformly heating the stove walls. Although baffles are sometimes provided inside the stove to effect uniform heat distribution, these baffles often interfere with the proper drafting requirements necessary to maintain combustion.
When it is desired to open the stove door to add additional fuel, smoke often escapes into the room since the dampers are usually positioned during combustion to restrict the air flow which carries smoke discharging upwardly into the flue. The woodstove operator must remember to set the damper to a maximum open position before opening the stove door to vent the smoke into the chimney flue; after adding the necessary fuel and closing the door, a readjustment of the damper position is necessary to maximize stove efficiency.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a wood and coal burning stove that operates with improved efficiency through uniform heating of the stove walls for maximum heat radiation into the room or area where the stove is located.
Another object of the invention is to provide adjustable means for circulating smoke and hot volatile gases throughout the stove before venting to the chimney flue.
Another object of the invention is to provide damper means for exhausting smoke located in all regions of the firebox up the chimney flue prior to opening the stove door.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a means being automatically repositioned to adjust the damper controls for achieving proper venting of smoke within the firebox prior to opening the stove door.
Yet a further object is to provide a stove including handle means for controlling circulation and venting of hot gases within the stove that does not become excessively hot to touch during stove operation.